Sudbury TM approves money for rail trail design

Thursday

May 8, 2014 at 2:28 AM

By Scott O'ConnellDaily News Staff

SUDBURY - At the third night of Annual Town Meeting, voters Wednesday night OK'd an article seeking $150,000 in community preservation money to pay for a design of the long-awaited Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.The floor never got a chance to vote on an amendment to the article seeking to add a scaled-down version of the trail to the study scope, however.Because the Community Preservation Committee, which presents all articles asking to use community preservation money, did not support the measure, legally the amendment could not move forward.Instead, voters approved the original article, which intends to use preservation money as well as $52,491 of leftover money from past Town Meetings to pay for what is called a "25 percent design" of the full, state-standard version of the trail, which is part of a proposed 25-mile paved recreation path stretching from Lowell to Framingham.The estimated $250,000 study, which will also be paid for with a $58,700 gift from an advocacy group in support of the Bruce Freeman Trail, will include a preliminary design of the path, construction cost estimates, environmental impact reports, and other relevant data, according to Selectman Len Simon, who presented the article."This is a great deal of work, and it's the foundation of any rail trail," he said.Because the state, which owns the railroad bed on which the trail would be built, has started construction on other parts of the path, work on Sudbury's 4.4-mile portion could begin as soon as 2016, Simon said."This is no longer something ... (that's) 'too far away," Simon said. "It can be on your doorstep in two years with your support."But Andrew Sullivan, who proposed the amendment to add a crushed-stone based "greenway" option to the study, said the more likely timeline for the project, which would be paid for and undertaken by the state transportation department, is closer to five years. In the meantime, he said it makes sense for Sudbury first to build a greenway along the trail, which he said is cheaper, quicker, less environmentally disruptive, and would not preclude the town from pursuing the full design later on."The greenway option has been under-investigated," said Sullivan, who called the approach "a wonderful way to jump start rail trail development here in Sudbury."Christopher Morely, chairman of the Community Preservation Committee, said his board hadn't had time to officially discuss Sullivan's amendment until Wednesday night, however."We try to be very deliberate - we don't want to do things on the fly on Town Meeting floor," he said, explaining the committee's decision not to support the addition to the article.Some voters were dismayed by the quick demise of Sullivan's amendment."I would beg the CPC to reconsider," said resident Kevin Matthews, who felt the greenway option was being left off due to the "technicality" of not getting the committee's support.The original article still passed by an overwhelming majority, however.Scott OConnell can be reached at 508-626-4449 or soconnell@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottOConnellMW